Category 1: Geography

Questions	Answers
In which city is the Taj Mahal located?	Agra
What three bodies of water border India?	Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal
In which continent is India located?	Asia
What is East Bengal now known as?	Bangladesh
Which is India's main sea port?	Bombay
In terms of population, which is India's largest city?	Bombay
In terms of population, which is India's second largest city?	Calcutta
Which country has population greater than India's?	China
Which city leads India in production of tea?	Darjeeling
What is the capital of India?	Delhi, New Delhi
In what direction is the Bay of Bengal with respect to India?	East
Which Indian city is known as the Pink City?	Jaipur
Which is India's highest mountain peak?	Kanchenjunga
What are the seasonal shift of winds called?	Monsoons
In which country is Mt. Everest located?	Nepal
In which nation does Indus river mostly flow?	Pakistan
Which state's name means "Land of five rivers"?	Punjab
In which state is the city of Jaipur located?	Rajasthan
What is India's rank among nations on the basis of its (size) area?	Seventh
What large desert lies to the northwest of India?	Thar Desert
Which river is considered the holiest by most Indians?	The Ganges
Which is India's largest river?	The Ganges
What mountain range is in the north of India?	The Himalayas
What are the Blue Mountains of South India better known as?	The Nilgiris
In what direction is the Arabian Sea with respect to India?	West
Coimbatore is in which state?	Tamil Nadu
Gwalior is in which state?	Madhya Pradesh
Rajkot is in which state?	Gujarat
Chandigarh is the capital of which state?	Punjab
Sholapur is in which state?	Maharashtra
What is another name for the river Ganges?	Bhagirathi
Name the two biggest earthen dams in the northwest of India.	Bhakra and Nangal
Where is the source of the river Ganges?	Gangotri
Which three nations make up the Indian sub-continent?	India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
What island is Bombay located on?	Salsette Island
Shanti Niketan is in the state of ?	West Bengal
Jallianwala Bagh is in ?	Amritsar
Meenakshi Temple is in the city of ?	Madurai
Aligarh is in?	Uttar Pradesh
Ajanta cave temples are in?	Maharashtra
Elephanta caves are in ?	Maharashtra
Where are Vijayanta tanks made?	Avadi, Tamil Nadu
India is entirely in which hemisphere?	Northern
Where is the major locomotive industry located?	Chittiranjan, West Bengal
Where is the most gold minerals found in India?	Karnataka
Where is the most Zinc mineral found in India?	Rajasthan
Where are diamonds found in India?	Madhya Predesh
Where is most black pepper found?	Kerala, Karnataka
Where is most coffee made?	Karnataka, Kerala
Where is most maize grown?	Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
Where is the most paddy grown?	West Bengal, Tamil Nadu
Where is the most rice grown?	West Bengal, Tamil Nadu
Where is the most sugarcane grown?	Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
Where is the most tea grown?	Assam, Kerala
Where is the most wheat grown?	Uttar Pradesh, Punjab
Which big city does Sabarmati river go through?	Ahmedabad
Which big city does Hooghly river go through?	Calcutta
Which big city does Yamuna river go through?	Delhi
Which big city does Gomti river go through?	Lucknow
Which big city does Ganga river go through?	Patna
Which big city does Tapti river go through?	Surat
Which big city does Cauvery river go through?	Tiruchinapalli
Which big city does Krishna river go through?	Vijayawada
Which big city does Musi river go through?	Hyderabad
Where is the military training center National Defense Academy located?	Khadakvasala
Where is Indian Military Academy located?	Dehradun
Where is the Integral Coach Factory?	Perumbur, Chennai
Where is Bandhavgarh National Park?	Madhya Pradesh
Where is Corbett National Park?	Uttar Pradesh
Where is Guindy National Park?	Tamil Nadu
Where is Mudumalai sanctuary?	Tamil Nadu
Sabarmati dam is in which state?	Gujurat
Bhakra Nangal Dam is across which river?	Sutlej
National Physical Labs is located in ?	New Delhi
Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum is located in ?	Bangalore
Indian Space Research Organization is located in ?	Bangalore
Sriharikota Range is in ?	Andhra Pradesh
Largest cantilever span bridge is across?	Howrah, Calcutta
Largest cave temple is in ?	Ellora, Maharashtra
Largest corridor is in?	Rameshwaram Temple Corridor
Highest Dam is ?	Bhakra Dam
Largest dam is ?	Hirakud Dam in Orissa
Largest Delta is in ?	Sunderbans
Largest desert is the ?	Thar desert, Rajasthan
Largest dome is ?	Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur
Highest Gateway is ?	Buland Durwaza, Fatehpur Sikri
Largest lake is?	Wular Lake, Kashmir
Largest Mosque is ?	Jama Masjid, Delhi
Highest mountain peak is ?	Kanchenjunga
Largest museum is ?	Indian museum, Calcutta
Largest Railway bridge is ?	Sone bridge, Bihar
Longest railway platform is ?	Kharagpur, West Bengal
Longest rail route is ?	Jammu Tawi to Kanyakumari
Longest rail tunnel is in ?	Bombay Thane section
Heaviest rainfall is in ?	Cherrapunji
Longest river is ?	Bramhaputra
Longest road is?	Grand Trunk Road
Largest state by area?	Uttar Pradesh
Smallest state by area?	Goa
Largest area under forest is in ?	Assam
Most literate state is ?	Kerala
Least populous state is ?	Sikkim
Tallest statue is ?	Gomateshwar, Karnataka
Highest tower is ?	Qutab Minar, New Delhi
Highest waterfall is ?	Gersoppa waterfall, Karnataka
Largest zoo is ?	Zoological Gardens, Calcutta
Capital of Gujurat is ?	Gandhinagar
Jaipur is capital of ?	Rajasthan

Category 2: History

Questions	Answers
In which year did the Indian army first rebel against the British?	1857
Which year did the Sepoy mutiny take place?	1857
In which year was the design of India's flag officially adopted?	1947
Name the king of Macadonia who invaded India in 326 BC.	Alexander
What was the name given by the Aryans to India?	Aryavarta
Who made Buddhism the official religion of India?	Ashoka
When did India gain independence from the British?	August 15, 1947
Who was the great Mogul emperor who respected all religions, and was considered very tolerant and benevolent?	Akbar
Who is considered the last great Mogul Emperor?	Aurangzeb
Who laid the foundation of Mogul Empire in India?	Babur
When did the Aryans arrive in India? (within +/-500 years)	Between 2000 and 1000 BC
What is the official name of India?	Bharat
In which modern Indian state is the ancient city of Patliputra located?	Bihar
What was the capital of India before New Delhi?	Calcutta
Which king founded the Gupta dynasty?	Chandra Gupta
Who assumed the title of "Vikramaditya"?	Chandra Gupta II
Which people moved south when Aryans invaded India from the north?	Dravidians
Which Indian king's emblem adorns the Indian flag?	Emperor Ashoka
What is the period 320-480 AD called in reference to India?	Golden age of India
What is the meaning of "Akbar"?	Great
During which dynasty did art, literature, science and government - all flourish greatly in India?	Gupta dynasty
Who was the Chinese traveler who traveled extensively in India in 7th century AD ?	Huien Tsang
One Indian state is West Bengal, what happened to East Bengal?	It became a separate country, Bangladesh
When was the Indian Constitution adopted?	Jan 26, 1950
Who was the famous Sanskrit poet in Vikramaditya's court?	Kalidasa
Name the battleground where after his victory, Emperor Ashoka denounced war and converted to Buddhism?	Kalinga
Name the Indian king who fought bravely but lost to Alexander.	King Puru
Which is the oldest archeological site in the Indian subcontinent?	Mohenjo-Daro / Harappa
Who was the founder of the Indian National Army?	Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Name the Indian queen who fought against the British in the 1800's.	Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi
Who was known as "Lion of Punjab"?	Ranjit Singh
What did the British prevent Indians from making, prompting Mahatma Gandhi to in itiate a famous march in 1930?	Salt
In whose reign was the Taj Mahal built?	Shah Jehan
In whose reign was the Peacock Throne built?	Shah Jehan
Who was the founder of the Maratha empire?	Shivaji
What does King Vikramaditya's name mean?	Son of valor
Who was the famous musician at Akbar's court?	Tansen
Which race came to India from northeast about 1300BC?	The Aryans
Who was the Sepoy mutiny directed against?	The British
Which race lived in India when the Aryans came?	The Dravidians
Which river gives India its name?	The Indus
Who invaded India with great ferocity in late 14th century AD?	Timur Lane
Which Indian saint inspired Shivaji, the Maratha ruler?	Tukaram
What is the name of the modern Indian state where the ancient Kosala kingdom was located?	Uttar Pradesh
Who was the first European to reach India via a sea route?	Vasco De Gama
Who was the king during the period of "Hindu Renaissance"?	Vikramaditya
In which century did Marco Polo visit the Pandya kingdom?	13th century AD
When did the great famine of Bengal occur?	1769/1770
In which year were Mohanjo-Daro and Harappa unearthed?	1921
During which period did Indus Valley civilization flourish? (+/- 300 years)	2300-1750 BC
Who founded the Indian National Congress?	Allan Hume
Name the designer of the Peacock Throne.	Bebadal Khan
Name the three principal kingdoms in the south in 13th century India.	Chera, Chola, Pandya
What was the name of the religion founded by Emperor Akbar?	Din-I-Illahi
Name the Indian archeologist who excavated the ruins of Mohanjo-Daro and Harapp a.	D.R. Sahani
Which Indian flag had Kanauj as the capital of its kingdom?	Harshavardhan
Who founded the city of Patliputra?	King Ajatashatru
Who was the fifth king of the Magadha dynasty?	King Bimbisara
Name the two major dynasties in India of 700 BC.	Kosala and Magadha
During which king's reign did the Portugese first come to India?	Krishna Deva Raya
Who set up "Madhyamika" - a major school of Buddhist thought?	Nagarjuna
Who mobilized the movement to abolish the sati system?	Raja Ram Mohan Roy
What major new city was founded by King Bimbisara of Magadha?	Rajagriha
From which river's overflow protection was the great wall of Harappa built?	Ravi
Who was responsible for "The Black Hole" incident in Calcutta?	Siraj-Ud-Ddulah
Which fierce and nomadic tribe from central Asia established itself in Malwa in 500 AD?	The Huns
Who was the first (British) Governer General of India?	William C. Bintick
Which Europeans were the first to establish trading settlements in India?	Dutch
Where was Nalanda University located?	Near Allahabad
How many years did the Palas rule their kingdom?	300 years
Where was the battle between Babar and Lodi fought in 1526?	Panipat
Where was Buddha born?	Kosala
When was Mahavira born?	7th century BC
Who wrote Arthashastra?	Bindusara
In which year did Gandhiji lead the Dandi march?	1930
Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged in ?	1931
When did the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occur?	1919
Which god was not worshipped by the Aryans?	God of fire (Agni)
When was capital of India shifted from Calcutta to Delhi?	1911
Where did Aryans first settle in India?	Ganga Valley

Category 3: Religion

Questions	Answers
Who is the first historical figure of the Hebrews?	Abraham
What is the Sikh book of scriptures called?	Adi Granth/Granth Sahib
What main feature is common to Jainism and Buddhism?	Ahimsa
Which are the three elements of Hindu Divine trinity?	Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
Names the four castes of Hindu society.	Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Sudra
Besides Hinduism, which two religions originated in the Aryan state?	Buddhism and Jainism
Who was the greatest exponent of the Bhakti movement?	Chaitanya
What is Lotus a symbol of in Hindu religion?	Divine energy and grace
Name the doctrine that says that the soul goes through a cycle of births, deaths and rebirths and so on.	Doctrine of karma
What does the drum in Lord Shiva's hand signify?	Drum of time
Which two cultures does Aurobindo Ashram strive to bring close?	East and West
Which king contributed greatly to propagation of Buddhism?	Emperor Ashoka
Who founded Buddhism religion?	Gautama / Siddharta
Which book contains the most important episode of Mahabharata?	Gita
Who founded Sikhism religion?	Guru Nanak
What name did Mahatma Gandhi give to the untouchables?	Harijans
What was Lord Buddha's original title (what was he born as)?	He was a prince
What name is given to the religion developed by the Aryans?	Hinduism
Which two religions does Sikhism try to bring together?	Hinduism and Islam
What is the largest religious group in India?	Hindus
What is the form of worship practiced by ancient Aryans?	Homa
Who was Rama's father in the Ramayana?	King Dasharatha
Where was the famous battle fought in the epic Mahabharata?	Kurukshetra
Who wrote the Ramayana?	Maharishi Valmiki
Which Indian greeting means "God in one person recognizes God in the other person"?	Namaste
What auspicious syllable Hindus are encouraged to chant?	Om
How were the Vedas passed along in ancient times?	Orally
Mahabharata tells the struggle of which two groups?	Pandavas and Kauravas
What is the literal meaning of the word "Harijan"?	Person of God
According to Koran, who receives the word of God (allah)?	Prophet Mohammed
What is the form of worship practiced by ancient Dravidians?	Puja
In which poem did Rama fight the battle for his wife?	Ramayana
What is another name for Gautama Buddha?	Siddharta
How many books make up Rig-Veda?	Ten
Who enforced the caste system in India?	The Aryans
Modern Hinduism is a result of interaction of which two groups of people?	The Aryans and Dravidians
What does the word "Jain" mean?	The conqueror
Which is the holiest Sikh shrine?	The Golden Temple in Amritsar
What did Moses receive from God?	The Ten Commandments
What are the casteless Hindus referred to as?	The untouchables
Name the works which contain Hindu philosophical ideas.	The Upanishads
Who founded Jainism religion?	Vardamana Mahavira
Give the population of Muslims in India within +/- 2%.	11.4%
Give the population of Hindus in India within +/- 3%.	82.6%
Which are the two holiest places of pilgrimage for Hindus?	Benares, Puri
In Hinduism, who is the Lord of Creation?	Brahma
Which state in India is home to the Syrian Christians?	Kerala
What is the name of the holy book of Islam?	Koran
Gita contains the dialogue between which two persons?	Krishna and Arjuna
What flower does Lord Brahma sit on?	Lotus
Which are the two most sacred mosques for Muslims?	Mecca and Medina
Which is the second largest religious group in India?	Muslims
Which are the two great epics of modern Hinduism?	Ramayana and Mahabharata
Name the Veda which is a composition of hymns in praise of gods.	Rig-Veda
Name the four Vedas.	Rig / Sam / Yajur / Atharva
Who was the most famous leader of the Ramakrishna mission?	Swami Vivekananda
In Hinduism, who is the Lord protector?	Vishnu
Who composed "Mahabharata"?	Veda Vyasa
* Give the population of Jains in India within +/- 0.1%.	0.5%
* Give the population of Buddhists in India within +/- 0.1%.	0.7%
* Give the population of Sikhs in India within +/- 0.5%	2.0%
* Give the population of Christians in India within +/- 0.5%.	2.5%
* When is St. Thomas believed to have reached India?	52 AD
* Give the population of Jews in India within +/- 1,000.	5,618
* Give the population of Parsis in India within +/- 10,000.	71,630
* What theory did Sankaracharya expound?	Advaita (Monoism)
* Who was the first preceptor of Sufism in India?	Al-Jullaqi
* What are the four fundamental motives of life?	Artha, Kama, Dharma and Moksha
* What institution was founded by Swami Dayanad Saraswati?	Arya Samaj
* According to the Upanishads, what is one's own self called?	Atman
* On what method did Ramanuja lay a great emphasis?	Bhaktimarga
* What institution was founded by Raja Rammohan Roy?	Brahma Samaj
* What are the four stages of life, each with its own "Dharma"?	Brahmcharya, Grahasta, Vanaprastha, Sanyasin
* What doctrine did Madhwa, the reformer, preach?	Dvaita (Dualism)
* Which two Sikh Gurus compiled the Granth Sahib?	Guru Arjan Mahal and Guru Gobind Singh
* Which are the two main religious books of the Hebrews?	Hebrew Bible and Talmud
* What is Atman a reflection of?	Highest self of divine
* Who is the supreme god of the Hebrews?	Jehovah
* Which is the holiest city of the Hebrews?	Jerusalem
* What are the four yogas (paths) an individual life (Atma) can choose to reach the ultimate goal?	Jnana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, Raja-Yoga and Karma-Yoga
* What is the religion of the Hebrews / Jews called?	Judaism
* What are the five K's a Khalsa is required to wear?	Kachcha, Kada, Kes, Kangha, Kripan
* What is a baptized Sikh called, and what does the word mean?	Khalsa, pure
* In which city is Al-Jullaqi's tomb located?	Lahore, Pakistan
* Whose divinity does the Vendanta movement proclaim?	Man's
* Who was the great law-giver of ancient Hindu literature?	Manu
* What type of a community were the Sikhs organized as by Guru Gobind Singh?	Militant community
* Who was the first prophet or law giver of the Jews?	Moses
* What are the traditional Christians, followers of the first Christian Church e stablished by St. Thomas, called?	The Syrian Christians of India
* What is the Sikh baptism with water stirred by a dagger called?	Pahul
* What is the Zoroastrian community commonly called?	Parsis
* What four monasteries did Sankaracharya establish?	Puri, Badrinath, Sringeri and Dwarka
* What institution was founded by Ramakrishna Paramhansa?	Ramakrishna Mission
* Name the Indian mystic who believed in the inherent truth of all religions.	Ramakrishna Paramhansa
* Name the three great reformers of Hinduism.	Ramanuja, Madhwa and Sankaracharya
* What is the name given to the six main systems of teaching developed by severa l rationalist philosophers?	Shastras
* What four monastries did Sankaracharya establish?	Sringeri and Dwarka
* Who was the first among Jesus Christ's disciples to come to India?	St. Thomas
* What is the movement of converting non-Hindus to Hinduism, started by Dayanand Saraswati called?	Suddhi (purification) movement
* What is the sect combining some aspects of Vedantic Hinduism into Islam called ?	Sufism
* Which are the two main divisions of Muslims?	Sunnis and Shiites
* What is the name given to the collection of essential thoughts of Hinduism bas ed on Vedas and Brahmanas?	Sutras
* Apart from the Vedas, name another set of great literature dealing with Hindui sm.	The Brahmanas
* What movement did Swami Vivekananda found?	The Vendata movement
* What institution was founded by Dr. Annie Besant?	Theosophical Society
* What is the movement of soul from one body to another called?	Transmigration
* Name the code which determined the duties of the castes.	Varnashrama Dharma
* What is the philosophy of qualified Monism, preached by Ramanuja called?	Vishisht Advaita
* Who gave the code of laws called "Dharma Shastra"?	Yagnavalkya
* Who founded Zoroastrianism?	Zoroaster (of Persia)

Category 4 Personalities

Questions	Answers
In which year did Tagore receive the Nobel prize?	1913
Who played the title role in the movie "Mahatma Gandhi"?	Ben Kingsley
What national honor was bestowed on Rajiv Gandhi posthumously in July 1991?	Bharat Ratna
Who was the first non-western scientist to receive a Nobel Prize?	C.V. Raman
Who was the first president of India?	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India?	Indira Gandhi
Who was the first Prime Minister of India?	Jawaharlal Nehru
Who started "Air India" airlines?	J.R.D. Tata
Which singer holds the record for most songs ever sung?	Lata Mangeshkar
In which field did Hargobind Khurana receive the Nobel Prize?	Medicine
In which field did Mother Teresa receive the Nobel Prize?	Peace
Who founded "Shanti Niketan"?	Rabindranath Tagore
Who is India's first astronaut who went into space in an Indo-Soviet joint space flight program?	Rakesh Sharma
Name the Indian-born author of "Satanic Verses".	Salman Rushdie
What did Rakesh Sharma (India's first astronaut) say when asked how India looked from outer space?	Sare Jahan Se Achcha
Name the Indian who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983.	S. Chandrasekhar
Name the Indian tennis player who acted in the James Bond movie "Octopussy& quot;.	Vijay Amrithraj
Who was the first (Indian) woman to become the president of the United Nations G eneral Assembly?	Vijayalakshmi Pundit
Who is known as the first great scientist of modern India?	J.C. Bose
Which Indian saint was born a Hindu but brought up as a Muslim?	Kabir
Who is called the "Father of the nation" by Indians?	Mahatma Gandhi
Who was the Rajput princess deeply devoted to Lord Krishna?	Mirabai
What is Mahatma Gandhi's real name?	Mohandas Karamchand
In what field did Dr. C.V. Raman receive the Nobel Prize?	Physics
King of Macedonia who invaded India 326 BC	Alexander
Tenth and last guru of Sikhs	Guru Gobind Singh
Princes from Rajasthan who became Krishna's devotee?	Mirabai
Who founded Servants of India Society in 1905 to train bands of political worker s?	Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Who was the first Indian to be elected to British House of Commons?	Dadabhai Naoroji
Who was the first Congress president in 1885?	Womesh Chandra Bonerjee
Who established Banaras Hindu University?	Madan Mohan Malviya
Who said "Swaraj is my right and I will have it"?	Balgangadhar Tilak
Who founded Indian National Congress?	A.O. Hume
Father of Indian renaissance and nationalism?	Raja Rammohan Roy
Founder of Arya Samaj	Swami Dayanand
First Law Minister of free India	B.R. Ambedkar
Founder of Ramakrishna Mission	Swami Vivekananda
Founder of the Indian National Army in 1943?	S.C. Bose
Gandhiji described his as "Sardar" for his able leadership. Who was he ?	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Who succeeded Lord Mountbatten as the first Governor General?	C. Rajagopalachari
First President of India?	Rajendra Prasad
Viswanathan Anand is a ?	Chess Grandmaster
Kiran Bedi is ?	First woman IPS officer
Vinod Kambli is associated with ?	Cricket
Amjad Ali Khan is a?	Sarod classical musician
Bismillah Khan is a	Shehnai maestro
Yamini Krishnamurthy is a ?	Bharatnatyam dancer
Dilip Kumar is a ?	Cinema actor
Lata Mangeshkar is a ?	Singer
Anantha Murthy is known for ?	literature
Mira Nair is a ?	Film director
R.K. Narayan is a	Writer
Kapil Dev is famous for playing ?	Cricket
Raja Ramanna is a	Nuclear scientist
Sushmita Sen is famous for being ?	Miss India
Ravi Shankar is a ?	Music maestro
Arun Shouri is a ?	Journalist
M.S. Subbulakshmi is a ?	Classical music singer
Mother Teresa is a ?	Nobel prize winner
Shankar Dayal Sharma is ?	Ninth president of India
* Who was the first Muslim President of India?	Dr. Zakir Hussain
* Who was the second Muslim President of India?	Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
* Who was the first Sikh President of India?	Giani Zail Singh
* Who was the governor of United provinces after independence of India?	Sarojini Naidu
* Who was the second President of India?	S. Radhakrishnan
* Who is credited with the astronomical work "Ardharatrika"?	Aryabhatta
* Which Indian mathematician was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in the ye ar 1918?	A.S. Ramanujam
* Who was referred to as "Lokmanya" - leader of people?	Balgangadhar Tilak
* Which Indian mathematician is credited with the book "Lilavati"?	Bhaskara
* Who is credited with "Ayurveda" - science of health?	Charaka
* Who was the first Indian to address Britain's House of Commons?	Dadabhai Naoroji
* Who was the first woman to become a pilot of Indian Airlines?	Durba Bannerjee
* Who was described as "Gladistone of India" by the British?	Gopalkrishna Gokhale
* Who initiated India's nuclear physics / atomic energy program?	H. J. Bhabha
* On what date was Mahatma Gandhi assassinated?	January 30, 1948
* Who was India's first woman police officer?	Kiran Bedi
* Name the Indian Prime Minister who died in office in a foreign land?.	Lal Bahadur Shastri
* Name the second Prime Minister of India.	Lal Bahadur Shastri
* When did Jawahar Lal Nehru pass away? Give exact date.	May 27, 1964
* Who founded the scientific journal "Science & Culture"?	Meghnad Saha
* Who shot Mahatma Gandhi?	Nathuram Godse
* Indian troops invaded the states of Hyderabad and Junagad and compelled them t o become a part of independent India in Sept. 1948. What code name was given to this Indian military operation?	Operation Polo
* Name the 1982 Miss India who later settled in England.	Pamela Singh
* Name the Indian film actress who appeared on the cover of "Time" mag azine in 1976.	Parveen Babi
* Name the Indian model, a former Miss India, who acted in "Star Trek - The Movie".	Persis Cambhatta
* In what field did Dr. S. Radhakrishnan contribute the most?	Philosophy
* Who is the founder of Indian Chemical School?	P.C. Roy
* Who is credited with the "Vishista-Advaita" philosophy?	Ramanuja
* Who was the first Indian beauty to be crowned Miss World?	Reita Faria
* Name the Indian statesman who persuaded several hundred Indian princess to giv e up their principalities to form the Indian Union upon independence from Britis h.	Sardar Patel
* Name the four year old who won the Indian national award for the best child ar tiste in 1991 in the film "Anjali".	Shamili
* Who was the Indian leader to side with Hitler during WW-II?	Subhash Chandra Bose
* What is the name of the mastermind of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, who is also known as the "one-eyed Jack"?	Sivarasan
* Name the only Indian film star who was honored by the Cinematheque Francaise w ith a week long festival of his/her films.	Smita Patel
* Who was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress?	Sarojini Naidu
* Who founded the famous ashram in Pondicherry, South India?	Sri Aurobindo
* Who is known as the originator of "Surgery" in Indian medicine?	Sushrata

Questions	Answers
Who wrote the national song of India "Vande Matram"?	Bankim Chandra
Were the Vedic books begun before or after the time of Christ?	Before
Which famous Indian wrote "Glimpses of World History"?	Jawaharlal Nehru
Who authored the famous play "Shakuntala"?	Kalidasa
Who wrote the Indian National Anthem?	Rabindranath Tagore
Which famous Indian poet won the Nobel Prize for Literature?	Rabrindanath Tagore
Which veda consists of thousand of prayers?	Rig Veda
Who was the author of the novel "The Guide" which was made into a movi e in both English and Hindi?	R. K. Narayan
In which language were the Ramayana and Mahabharata first written?	Sanskrit
What is the most famous play written by the poet Kalidasa?	Shakuntala
Who was the famous blind poet of the 16th century?	Surdas
What is the most famous book of fables in India?	The Panchatantra
What famous book of Arabian stories actually originated in India?	Thousand and One Nights / Arabian Nights
Which are the oldest literary books in the world?	Vedas
Who is the author of Ram Charita Manas?	Tulsidas
* Who wrote the poem "Geet-Govinda"?	Jayadev
* What is the primary influence of Indian literature?	Religion
* Who wrote "Ananda Laheri"?	Sankaracharaya
* Who wrote "Tirukkural"?	Tirvalluvar
* Which ancient Indian books contain many philosophical works?	Upanishads
* Who is credited with the Telegu literary work "Padyamulu"?	Vemanna

Category 6 Sports

Questions	Answers
Who is the highest ranked Indian junior tennis player in the world?	Leander Paes
Which Indian athlete was called "The Flying Sikh"?	Milkha Singh
Which famous American boxer visited the Kali temple of Calcutta in 1991?	Mohammed Ali
Where is the Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports located?	Patiala
What popular British game, played on horses, originated in India?	Polo
Which Indian muscleman won Mr.Universe title in 1988?	Prem Chand Dogra
Who was the first Indian woman to reach finals in an Olympic event?	P.T. Usha
Which famous Indian tennis player was once ranked ahead of Jimmy Connors and Bjo rn Borg?	Vijay Amrithraj
Who is the first Indian to win the Asian Snooker championship?	Yasim Merchant
When did India win her first Olympic gold medal in field hockey?	19 28
In which year was India awarded recognition in Test cricket?	1932
What was the name of the Mascot at the Asiad games held in New Delhi in 1982?	Appu
Who was the first Indian woman to swim the English Channel?	Arati Saha (Gupta)
Which game, that is similar to baseball, is very popular in India?	Cricket
In which sport has India won many world championships and several Olympic gold m edals?	Field hockey
How many gold medals did P.T. Usha win in the Seoul Asiad in 1988?	Four
Who became the youngest world amateur billiards champion in 1985?	Geet Sethi
How many players are there in each team in cricket?	11
What is the Aga Khan Cup trophy associated with?	Hockey
What is the Ranji Trophy associated with?	Cricket
What is Durand Trophy associated with?	Soccer
Which sport is Anand Amrithraj associated with?	Tennis
Which sport is B.S. Chandrasekhar associated with?	Cricket
Which sport is Karni Singh associated with?	Rifle shooting
Which sport is Sunil Gavaskar associated with?	Cricket
Which sport is P.T. Usha associated with?	Atheletics
Which sport is Sachin Tendulkar associated with?	Cricket
Which sport is Leander Paes associated with?	Tennis
* In which year was the All India Amateur Athletics Federation formed?	1946
* When did India get her first victory over England in Test cricket?	1951-52
* In which year was the National Sports Championship for women first held in Ind ia?	1975
* What is the highest recognition (award) for sports in India?	Arjuna awards
* Who was the first Indian woman to scale Mount Everest?	Bachendri Pal
* Where is the Beighton Cup hockey tournament held?	Calcutta
* Who was the first Indian woman to win the Commonwealth Chess Championship?	Jayashree Khadilkar
* In the 1990 Asian games, India won a gold medal in a sport which was an Asiad competitive event for the first time. Name this sport.	Kabaddi
* Who was the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the Asian Games?	Kamaljit Sandhu
* Name the Indian cricketer who is the youngest in the world to complete 2000 ru ns and 200 wickets in Test matches.	Kapil Dev
* Who was the first Indian to score a century in Test cricket?	Lala Amarnath
* In which city was the first womens' power lifting contest held?	New Delhi
* Which club won the Rovers cup soccer tournament played in 1990?	Salgoakar Club, Goa
* What sport is the Dr. B.C.Roy trophy associated with?	Soccer
* What sport is the Santosh Trophy associated with?	Soccer
* Which former Indian cricket captain is the highest run scorer in the history o f the game?	Sunil Gavasker

Questions (What is the meaning of the word "..."?)	Answers
What does the name "Shanti Niketan" mean?	Abode of peace
Kali-Yuga	Age of falsehood
Sata-yuga	Age of truth
What is the Hindi word for the land of Aryans?	Aryavarta
Sabha	Assembly
Sabhagriha	Assembly hall
Adhikara	Authority
What is the Hindi word for loving/devotional worship of God?	Bhakti
What is the Hindi word for the wheel - as in the Indian flag?	Chakra
Ananda	Delight
Rakshasha	Demon / evil
What is the Hindi word for duty prescribed by Hindu religious texts?	Dharma
Divya	Divine
Kula	Family
Danda	Force / coercive power
What is the Hindi word for the traditional school in which the students live wit h the teachers to acquire knowledge?	Gurukula
Maya	Illusion
Amrita	Immortalizing nectar
Jnanam or Gyanam	Knowledge (spiritual)
Mukti	Liber

Rules of Contest

The contest is open to two grade groups. The junior group will consist of childr en attending grades 7 and below. The senior group will consist of children atten ding grades 8 through 12.

Category 1: Geography

Category 2: History

Category 3: Religion

Category 4 Personalities

Category 5 Literature

Category 6 Sports

Category 7 Vocabulary